Prologue

I wanted to surprise my boyfriend—it was our third anniversary.

Usually, siya ang may pa-surprise, siya ang may effort. But this time, I wanted to be the one who did something special. I’d been busy with a mission these past few weeks, halos wala akong oras, but today… I made time.

I prepared the gifts, bought a small cake, even ordered take-out food so we could celebrate together. Hindi na ako nag-text sa kaniya. He said he’d visit me tonight for our date, so I decided na unahan ko siya.

I went to his office first, pero sabi ng coworker niya nag half-day leave daw.

“Siguro naghahanda siya ng sorpresa para sa akin,” I thought with a smile as I stood in front of his house.

Being an expert, picking a lock wasn’t exactly difficult.

I entered quietly, heart light and full of anticipation. But as I stepped further inside, a sound made me stop in my tracks.

Laughter.

Moaning.

The unmistakable sounds of pleasure.

I froze.

Dahan-dahan akong umakyat ng hagdan. My heart pounded as I noticed clothes scattered on the steps, leading to the bedroom. My knees felt weak.

Is this even real?

I stood by the half-open door, eyes widening.

There they were.

My boyfriend.

And my sister.

Together.

Doing something I never imagined I would ever witness.

The first thing that came to my mind: kill them both. I could. I was trained. It wouldn’t be difficult.

But I wouldn’t stoop to their level.

Jace saw me first. His eyes widened in panic as he scrambled to cover himself with a blanket. My sister didn’t even flinch. She smiled—like she was proud. Like she wasn’t even ashamed.

“Kaz, this is a mistake,” Jace stammered, trying to hide behind the blanket.

“I didn’t know you were enjoying yourselves like this,” I said coldly, my voice shaking. “With my sister? Really, Jace? On our anniversary? Bakit? Dahil ba hindi ko pa binibigay ’yon sa’yo? Di ka makapaghintay? Sa kapatid ko pa talaga?! Nakakadiri ka.”

I turned to my sister. “At ikaw. Wala ka man lang hiya? Boyfriend ng kapatid mo pinatulan mo? Nakakasuka ka.”

Tears fell, but my voice stayed sharp.

Jace tried to move closer. “I’m sorry… I-I got tempted. You couldn’t give me what I needed. But your sister—she could. I love you, you know that, right?”

I laughed bitterly. “No, Jace. You don’t love me. Stop lying to me.”

My sister chimed in, venom dripping from every word. “Bakit ka ba nagagalit? Di mo nga maibigay pangangailangan niya. At least ako, kaya ko. You’re so hard, Kaz. You expected him to stay loyal? Dream on.”

Pak!

I slapped her hard. She didn’t even try to cover herself—just looked me straight in the eye, smiling smugly.

“Masakit ba?” she taunted. “Masakit ba malaman na habang anniversary niyo, ako ang kinakama niya? Di ka ba na-inform? For three years, I was with him all along. Satisfying his needs.”

“You can have him,” I said, voice low, deadly calm. “I don’t care anymore. Pero kahit anong gawin mo, ’di naging kayo. Pang-kama ka lang. Ako, kahit hindi mo makama, legal pa rin akong girlfriend niya. Ngayon? Hindi na. Sa’yo na siya. Enjoy.”

I turned my back on them and walked away. My hands were trembling, my heart in pieces.

How long has this been going on?

Was I that blind?

Was I not worth waiting for?

I got into my car and sped off, heading to the bar owned by my close friend. It only opened at night, but I knew he’d be in the office.

When I arrived, the guard tried to stop me, but when he recognized me, he stepped aside.

I entered and went straight to the counter. No bartender yet. I grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured myself a drink.

I drank in silence.

One glass.

Two.

Three.

My tolerance was high—I was trained, after all.

But the pain?

There was no training for that.

I lost track of time.

And when the morning light filtered in through the windows…

I woke up in someone else’s bed, instincts sharp, pulse steady.

The man beside me breathed slow and deep.

Then I noticed it—a glint of metal on the table.

A gun.

Not ordinary. Modified.

I should’ve been terrified.

Instead, I felt electrified. Every instinct screamed at me, but my body remembered the heat, the grip of his hands, the power in every movement.

He was danger wrapped in human form.

And realization hit me.

I had given myself to him.

The irony twisted like a knife in my chest.

I’d spent years mastering control, building walls, reading threats before they moved—and yet one night, one reckless moment, I handed my power to a stranger.

To him.

And that terrified me more than the gun on the table…

because part of me didn’t regret it.